Mudassar’s magic lifts Hollinwood

GOTCHA . . . Saddleworth batsman Ian Hague is dismissed by Moorside bowler Danny Anchor.

CRICKET; LEADING from the front, captain Mudassar Butt has done much to lift the fortunes of Hollinwood in the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

Approaching 500 runs and 50 wickets this season, his importance to the Lime Lane side cannot be underestimated.

The value of the all-rounder, who built up such a rock-solid understanding at the club with the much-missed Aamir Bashir, shone through in the nine-run defeat of visitors Greenfield.

Standing firm when two wickets down for half-a-dozen runs, Butt went on to score 43, before sending down 21 consecutive overs at a reward of six for 53.

Butt and his team-mates should be celebrating three straight league wins but, after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Friarmere six days earlier, Hollinwood performed their own Houdini act here.

Requiring 186 to win, Greenfield were going along nicely on 144 for five with 12 overs to go, with Adam Hayes and Matt Ralph seemingly in control.

Hollinwood and Butt needed a breakthrough, and they got it when Ralph, on 18, edged Aamir Afzal to Butt’s namesake, Ahmed, behind the stumps.

The skipper, who had earlier removed opener James Rothwell, Josh Higgins and Peter Gill, then snaffled the prize wicket of Adam Hayes.

Attempting to wrap up things quickly, the number four batsman chose the aerial route over long on, but instead picked out Shazad Butt on the boundary.

The fielder sarcastically cried ‘howzat’ towards the umpire not once but twice in response to what Hollinwood believed to be a very good appeal for a catch that was turned down by the same official at the start of Greenfield’s reply.

Shazad Butt, quite rightly, was immediately told to cool it by the other umpire.

Greenfield continued to chip away at the target, and remained in the box seat with 13 runs to get from three overs with three wickets left.

Hollinwood still refused to go away, however, and Mudassar Butt, with Aamir Afzal at the other end, made sure victory was theirs.

With the bat, Butt’s knock came at the right time after opener Shahid Naseer’s exuberant 57 from 59 balls — he struck eight fours and two sixes — looked to have gone to waste.

Ahmed, Hollinwood’s professional, likes to make himself heard when it comes to appealing, but he had precious little to shout about after making only five. He was one of five victims for 68 runs for Greenfield overseas amateur Rahul Panta.

But Shakeel Saddique, coming in at seven, played a measured innings of 27 not out and, with two early wickets as well, one thanks to a brilliant stumping from Ahmed Butt, he could also reflect on a fine afternoon’s work.